Odd One Out
by Petitio Principii
Summary: AU Past. Yumi and Ulrich. Jeremy and Aelita. Odd feels like some sort of fifth wheel and it's driving him mad. This creates the perfect opportunity for X.A.N.A., and Odd finds himself stumbling into something he’s not sure to escape with his mind intact.
1. Feeling Blue?

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**Odd One Out**

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**Disclaimer  
**I do not own Code: Lyoko. Nope.

**Summary  
**Yumi and Ulrich. Jeremy and Aelita. Odd feels like some sort of fifth wheel and it's driving him mad. Little does he know, this creates the perfect opportunity for X.A.N.A., and Odd finds himself stumbling into something he's not sure to escape with his mind intact.

**IMPORTANT Author's Note  
**I haven't seen many of the new episodes (Maybe a grand total of five or six). If anything I write contradicts the contents of them, I apologize, but I will only fix it if it isn't vital to the plot.  
Also, I have NO earthly idea what X.A.N.A. looks like OR the background of Aelita and Lyoko, so it's my own creation. It's based on what _I've_ seen so far of Aelita's memories and the most logical turns (to me) with a twist. If you don't like it, I'm sorry.  
_(Added later)  
_I haven't seen 'The Key', but I do know enough that it conflicts with my plot. So this is minorly AU.

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**Chapter 1  
**Feeling a Bit Blue?

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It was 2:39 and you could feel the tension in the room. The student's focus seemed only on the second hand of the circular clock, rather than the droning voice of the teacher. Odd was one of these said students, as he had been waiting all day for that Friday night.

Friday nights for Odd were always spent hanging out with Yumi, Ulrich, Jeremy, and more recently, Aelita. X.A.N.A. had been particularly inactive that week, something Odd found himself missing somewhat. It was something they all could do together without worrying about…_relationships_.

Said topic currently a rough spot for Odd. _He_ was not in a relationship as of now, mind you, the real problem was that _everyone else_ was. Ulrich had Yumi, Jeremy had Aelita. Who did Odd have? No one.

_Who would like someone like you, anyway? You only exist to give people a laugh._

Odd attempted to pay no heed to the voice in his head, but the words rang though his ears. Just like the bell.

With newfound excitement, Odd jumped from his seat and commenced dancing and screaming in delight. His friends only rolled their eyes in a good-natured manner at his actions.

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Odd, continued to be in a cheerful mood back at his dorm room with Ulrich. "So, Ulrich what should we do tonight? Maybe go watch that new movie, _'Hospital Horror II'_, I think it's-"

"Um, Odd," Ulrich interrupted, "I'm…well, I'm kind of going somewhere with Yumi tonight."

Odd's eyes widened along with his grin. "Ooh, finally told her, did you, Romeo?" He chuckled when the blush rose on Ulrich's face. This action caused Odd's grin only to widen.

But his outward appearance betrayed his true emotions. This was just one fine example of howhis friends hormonesjust seemed to be in his way. "I'll ask Jeremy and Aelita then – though they're not really into horror. Hmm…oh well."

Ulrich's blush intensified; he turned his head away. "Actually, Odd…they're going with us…like, err…" the brunette stuttered, attempting to complete his sentence.

Odd's smile faltered, but he tried to keep his voice as cheery as possible. "Oh…like a double date, eh? You and Jeremy sure take the initiative as of late!"

By this time Ulrich's face was a dark shade of red; he then retaliated. "Shut up, Odd," he spoke with authority.

The blonde's laugh was muffled by the pillow thrown at his face.

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_You could've been watching a movie with all your friends right now, couldn't you? Too bad they're too busy with their'love' to worry about you. But why should they even bother with a worthless kitten like you? You're no good for anything._

Odd lay on his bed in his empty dorm, trying - but to no avail - to block out the voice in his head. It was a nasty, biting voice that had the power to make anyone feel inferior.

"I can't be that bad, can I? I mean…they've kept me around this long – trusted me with their secret…"

_Like they had a choice! It was you that discovered their secret – they didn't willingly tell you. As for keeping you around – the 'double date' tonight is obviously an act to force you away. _**(1)**

The blonde teen solemnly hung his head, as if admitting defeat to the inner-workings of his very own mind.

From across the room, a loud, shrill ring interrupted Odd from his stupor. 'My cell phone!' He quickly hopped from his position on the bed to answer it. Jeremy's panicked voice echoed into his ear.

"Odd – it's X.A.N.A! He's launched another attack – there's no time to explain! You need to get to the factory now!"

"Gotcha, Jeremy."

Odd clicked off his cell phone then stealthily jumped out his window, hanging to the walls of the school. As soon as the teen reached ground, he made a break for the park.

_Go ahead. Just try to prove yourself to them._

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Odd swung down the rope to the floor of the factory, panting for breath. He had tried to get to their 'headquarters' faster than ever, as if he was attempting to prove that scathing voice in his mind wrong.

"Odd, just go ahead to the scanner room, okay?" echoed Jeremy's voice around the abandoned factory. It sounded relatively calm, though Odd could sense panic hidden beneath.

The blonde hastily entered the elevator, entered the code, and then depressed the down arrow. After a few seconds wait, the elevator doors slid open revealing four slim scanners. Odd dashed for one.

"Ready, Jeremy," her spoke confidently. He really tended not to worry about journeying to Lyoko anymore – it wasn't like he could actually experience pain there. Really, the worst that could happen to him was being returned to Earth. He still knew his job was important, however; Aelita and her memory needed to be protected at all costs.

"Scanner, Odd…Virtualization."

The tone of Jeremy's voice unnerved the boy; it had almost…sinister undertones. He had no chance to dwell on this, however. Odd closed his eyes, waiting for the feeling of senselessness to engulf him.

It didn't.

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Blue.

When Odd opened wearily opened his eyes as he landed on solid ground, 'blue' was all he could begin to describe.

"Jeremy…Why am I in Sector 5?"

Silence followed Odd's question; blonde was then suddenly broken from his daze by the ground jolting beneath him and separating from the mass of land.

"…Jeremy?"

Odd tried in vain to receive an answer as he was carried over the virtual sea to the center of the large empty space. At present moment, he had no coherent idea on what could possibly be happening. Where were Yumi, Ulrich, and Aelita?

"_Hello, Odd_."

The blonde quickly turned to all locations, attempting to find the owner of the voice.

"…How do you know me? Show yourself!"

Feminine chuckling followed his demand. "_Whatever you wish_." The same voice echoed. Before Odd's eyes a figure began to take form. A figure that looked eerily like…

…Aelita.

The same facial features were present; same green eyes, same nose, same mouth, same cheekbones…but something was so much more different.

The girl looked…human. Her hair, in place of Aelita's stark pink, was a fresh shade of brown. Her outfit wasn't nearly as bizarre, either; her green and blue outfit could almost pass as street clothes.

"Who…who _are_ you?" Odd gazed in wonderment.

"My name is Carmelita Hermitage, the artificial daughter of Franz Hopper." She replied, cracking a small smile – and unnerving one that a teacher might give to a slow student.

Odd's head was spinning. Hermitage…Franz Hopper…it all seemed to fit – yet _not_. "Err," he managed to choke out, "Care to elaborate?"

The girl known as Carmelita Hermitage giggled. "Franz Hopper once had a loving daughter named Carmelita that he was quite fond of. Since her mother had died in childbirth, they both attached to each other since her birth. So, naturally, the girl's sudden death cast Franz Hopper into depression, obsession, and ultimately near insanity. He wanted his daughter back…so he decided to recreate her.

"He rejected society and fled deep into the woods like a deranged hermit. He acknowledged this fact of himself, thus naming his new home and lab the Hermitage. Franz Hopper worked day and night recreating his daughter in the dead girl's image. When he was finally successful, he called the girl Carmelita Hermitage, not wanting her to steal his real daughter's identity.

"What was so remarkable about his creation was that he had finally discovered a way for his android to predict a human's actions before they were actually initiated. It was nothing that normal humans couldn't decipher, for instance: Carmelita Hermitage could predict that Mr. Hopper would take was going to eat his food once he picked up his fork.

"But soon his invention got out of hand. Carmelita could predict the outcome of almost any event; she could inform Franz that he was going to find a lottery ticket outside the grocery store before the man even contemplated leaving the house.

"Franz Hopper wasn't daft; he saw the problem that was created. Firmly believing he could never destroy the girl he had even nicknamed 'Lita' and come to love as a real daughter, he found another solution. He created a program to restrain Carmelita – a humanoid form he had dubbed A.I.-Lita; an A.I. virtual form of the girl with a world composed of several towers that represented the different programs. The password to activate the programs wasn't complex- simply one letter difference of his deceased wife's name: Kyoko. **(2)**

"And here we are."

Odd was perhaps more confused than ever before. Yet what he had processed had made sense somewhat. "So you…you're than android he created? Carmelita Hermitage?" the teen questioned.

Lita nodded.

"Why haven't we heard of you, then?"

A giggle escaped from the android girl's throat, but she gave no reply. Odd wasn't exactly sure what to do with the awkward silence that followed. "I…suppose you know a lot about XANA, then, huh?"

The girl seemed to stiffen up slightly. "Yes…yes, I do."

"Any chance of you telling me what X.A.N.A. stands for?"

"X.A.N.A.," the girl explained, "Is short for Xanadu, a hypertext library diligently created by Ted Nelson that ended in a terrible failure after he worked on it for 30 years. It seems Franz Hopper found _something_ useful about it – Lyoko is based on the hypertext language of Xanadu." **(3)**

"You know," Odd grinned sheepishly, "I understood about zip of what you just said." There was a brief pause. "I suppose Aelita's never talked of you because she hasn't recovered her memory. I can't wait to introduce you to my friends – you'll love them!"

Lita's demeanor instantly shifted from bright to accusing. "But _you_ don't even like your friends! I saw it…I could tell. You hate what they're doing – pushing you away…"

"And what makes you say that? I care for my friends!" Odd spat, almost enraged at the accusation.

"But I've been watching you and them recently – they don't exactly _care_ for you! And I can tell _you_ know this and hate it because I can _read_ people, remember?" Her voice held a familiar biting edge, then quickly changed tone, "I-I'm sorry Odd. I didn't mean to offend you like that; it's just, well, you're the first person I've talked to in so long that –"

"Ah - its okay, Lita. I understand. I'm…just not having the best of days." The blonde responded with his gaze exploring the mundane, blue surroundings.

'You know, I'd really like to know exactly what Jeremy is doing. Einstein, just give me some kind of sign so I know you're not dead!'

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**(1)** – I am basing the fact that Odd joined last on the 'Garage Kids' trailer. (The original idea for Code: Lyoko.)

**(2)** – A.I. is pronounced like 'I' or 'Ae'. I-Lita…Ae-lita…get it? Yeah, it _does_ make sense now…

**(3)** – Yes, Xanadu and Ted Nelson are real. And for the record, I don't own them.

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**Authors Note II  
**Ok, here's the first chapter – and don't kill me for "creating" Carmalita. Believe, she'll fit in. Oh, it'll all fit in.–wicked grin-

Also, to anyone who made it this far, thanks for reading!


	2. Feeling Alone?

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**Odd One Out**

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**Disclaimer  
**I don't own Code: Lyoko. No-sir-ee-bob.

**Summary  
**AU Past.Yumi and Ulrich. Jeremy and Aelita. Odd feels like some sort of fifth wheel and it's driving him mad. Little does he know, this creates the perfect opportunity for X.A.N.A., and Odd finds himself stumbling into something he's not sure to escape with his mind intact.

**Author's Note  
**Alright, I bet you can tell I can't really get around to updating often. _–dodges any thrown items- _I'm concentrating on my totally _not_ CL fic right now, because those reviewers are scarier somewhat. (More pressure if you know what I mean.)

Thanks SO much to my reviewers – _American-Kitty_, _Eddo_, _Dragon C. Chan_, and _'guest'_. Thanks especially to my unknown guest for the long review; made me feel great! You should get an account for PMs or something.

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**Odd One Out  
**Feeling Alone?

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Odd had been sitting in silence on the cold, blue ground of Sector Five for what seemed like almost an hour. Of course, though it seemed that long, in reality it was perhaps a grand total of ten minutes.

Odd was actually very…_bored_. In _Lyoko_. Truth be told, he hadn't thought that would ever happen.

Of course, there were no monsters anywhere to occupy him – a thought that triggered many questions. Why weren't there any monsters? He was in _Sector Five_. For that matter, why was he in Sector Five in the first place? And why, _why_ did he have to be stranded over the digital sea with no escape?

"Hey, Carmelita?" the blonde signaled her, as she jumped slightly at his voice.

"Yes, Odd?" the android girl replied, sounding almost excited to be talking again.

Odd questioned, "Is there anyway you could get us out of here?" He noticed her face pinched up slightly.

"Well, I haven't found a way. I've always been in Sector Five."

Odd opened his mouth to say something, but decided against it. The uncomfortable silence reigned once again, and Odd directed his gaze to the digital sea - the only changing thing in the mundane environment of Sector Five.

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At this time, an hour really _had_ passed and gone, leaving Odd as bored as ever. Of course, he had no idea of how much time he had actually been in Lyoko – three hours. Three hours of boredom and few words exchanged between the pair; Odd wasn't really sure how to talk to Carmelita. She wasn't like Ulrich, Yumi, Jeremy, or even Aelita. He wasn't even sure _what_ he would talk about if he felt he _could_.

"You can't sleep in Lyoko, right?" Odd interrogated, though he already knew the answer. Lita slowly nodded her head, as if trying to recall exactly what 'sleep' was. Odd sighed deeply and dramatically as he turned on his side and closed his eyes. Sleep didn't come, and he knew it never would in his current location.

Odd wondered _exactly _what had happened to the others. He really was worried by now. Had they been attacked?...Killed? The blonde shivered slightly at that thought. No…they couldn't have died. They always lived.

Always…

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In the boys dorm hallway of Kadic, Ulrich fumbled in his pocket for the keys to the room he shared with his best friend, Odd. He growled in frustration when he realized he had left his set in the room. **(1)**

The brunette knocked on the door to his dorm room. "Odd, it's me," he spoke, providing confirmation. He received no answer, however. "Odd…I forgot my key. This isn't funny."

Still receiving no answer, Ulrich leaned back on the door with a sigh. Odd must've gone somewhere that night, too. The athletic teen trudged down to hallway to another room, cautiously knocking on that door. Several banging noises echoed from the inside, along with Jeremy's muttering voice. The door opened soon after, revealing a disgruntled blonde with his thick-rimmed glasses absent.

"Jeremy, can I sleep with you tonight?"

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"Lita, you know I'm from Earth don't you?" Odd started another conversation with his only companion. The brunette girl nodded. "What do you think would happen if I was never materialized back? Would I lose my human identity and become a program like you?"

Carmelita paused, lost deep in her mind with her face blank. "It…It is possible. But you'd probably have to stay in Lyoko for over a month or so. Or at least that's my idea. …Don't worry, Odd. I'm sure they'll come back for you."

The android's last words hit hard in Odd's heart. But what if his friends had died? What if the world was in danger, and there was nothing he was doing about it?

What if they'd left him there on purpose?

Odd shook that thought of his head the moment it appeared into existence. Sure, he wasn't exactly as much of a part of the group as they were, but they wouldn't leave him. Even if they no longer cared about him, all of his friends had good hearts – they wouldn't be able to go through with it.

Still, the thought hauntingly stayed, regardless of how outlandish it was.

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Yumi swiftly dashed out her front door with a quick 'Bye, love you!' and rushed off to school that morning. She was wearing her usual black attire; still no makeup whatsoever. Yumi never claimed to be girly, anyway.

The dark-haired teen was running somewhat late that morning, something she chided herself for since classes started so late on Saturdays; she couldn't sleep last night. A slight blush rose on her cheeks – she had been thinking of Ulrich. Now that she knew he felt the same way…

Her thoughts halted abruptly as she arrived in the school courtyard. Yumi soon spotted her group of friends – though they seemed to be one member short.

"Hey, guys," greeted Yumi as she placed down her schoolbag and sat by Aelita, "Where's Odd?"

Ulrich was the first to speak, "I'm not really sure. I don't think was in our room last night – I left my keys so I had to stay with Jeremy. I thought he'd be back later…but I haven't heard from him since."

"You don't think it was XANA, do you?" Aelita questioned about the main source of group's troubles.

"No," Jeremy spoke up, "I did a scanner check this morning and just an hour ago. No activated towers." Silence followed the genius's statement, all of them pondering the fate of their friend.

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Odd had no plausible idea how long he had been trapped in Sector Five, but he did know it was several hours at the least. His worry for his friends peaked; he felt as if he'd go insane if he had to stay confined for another minute.

Lita was nice company, though she didn't speak much. Occasionally, Odd would catch her giving him an unusual look, but as soon as their eyes met, she turned away. He figured he was probably the only human (well…virtual human, anyway) she'd seen in perhaps years.

He really wondered about that android girl. She herself said she could predict future events – even read people! He shuddered at her comment about his friends. Was she right?

…Wait. Carmelita said she had been watching them. But for how long? And why? Odd decided he would feel awkward asking those questions, so he refrained from voicing them.

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For the brief time before they parted ways for differing classes, Yumi and Ulrich had the privilege to chat.

"Ulrich," Yumi started, "Why the change of style?" She hadn't really noted the fact earlier, but she now realized it wasn't his usual kind of attire. In fact, it looked somewhat…_nerdy_. Yumi giggled.

Ulrich looked annoyed. "I had to stay with Jeremy, remember? All _my _clothes are in _my_ room. Lucky for me, Jeremy has some clothes that aren't quite as…ah…" Yumi giggled more, knowing what Ulrich was planning to say, though he felt uncomfortable saying it.

"Ulrich, no worries. I love you no matter what you wear."

"Even if I wore purple like Odd?" the boy countered.

Yumi's face scrunched up slightly at the thought. "You have to admit, that only works for him." Alas Yumi's classroom was to the right and Ulrich's to the left. "See ya, Ulrich! And don't worry…we'll find Odd!" spoke Yumi as she turned in the opposite direction, the girl thoroughly hoping her words would be true.

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Even though Saturday classes were so short, Ulrich found the time dragging along even slower than on weekdays. Perhaps it was because of the hope that maybe, _just maybe_ Odd would be back in their dorm room when Ulrich returned there.

When the final bell rang at last, Ulrich jumped from his seat, earning a smirk from Mrs. Hertz. "Eager to leave, are we, Ulrich?" she joshed, though Ulrich didn't really care. He was the first from the classroom, followed closely by Jeremy and Aelita. They soon met up with Yumi, whose class actually ended five minutes beforehand.

"No news, huh?" Yumi questioned sadly, as everyone shook their heads.

"Jeremy, maybe you should do another scan…" Aelita started, still going with her XANA theory.

The blonde genius sighed. "I told you, nothing. But I'll try again." Tapping keys on his laptop with lighting speed, Jeremy had started the super scan in less than a minute. "It's just as before; no activated towers."

"Do you think something _human_ could've gotten him? We could be going about this the wrong way," Yumi supplied, and Jeremy nodded.

"I think that's the most probable…though plenty harder. We don't even know where Odd went last night," Ulrich added.

Aelita said nothing on that matter; she still couldn't shake off the sense that XANA was the one responsible, despite all evidence against it.

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"Jeremy?"

The blonde in question abruptly turned from his computer screen at the sound of Aelita's voice. Running a hand nervously through his hair, he answered the door to his dorm. "What do you need, Aelita?"

The virtual girl looked unsteady, almost as if she was choosing the right words to say. "Ah…um…well, can I come in, Jeremy?" Jeremy opened the door wider in a gesture of confirmation. Aelita hurriedly came in, sitting on Jeremy's bed, who had closed the door behind her. The pink-haired girl held her head in her hands.

"Jeremy, its XANA," was all she said.

Jeremy's expression quickly changed from confusion to worry. "More memory visions?" he questioned.

"No, it's not that…" the girl began, searching for words, "It-it's just a feeling. Can we go to the factory, Jeremy? Please?"

The blonde looked into her pleading eyes, contemplating his decision. Classes had ended; it would be unspeakably easy to sneak out like they usually did.

"Sure, Aelita."

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**(1)** – If you remember, Odd left his room by the window, leaving Ulrich effectively trapped outside. Poor guy.

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**Authors Note II  
**Well, it's been sitting around for awhile, andI _finally_ posted it. Sorry, ya'll. Poor, poor Odd; trapped in a 2x2 square over the virtual sea with a non-talkative android as his only companion. The guy _seriously_ needs love right about now.


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